Posts Tagged Microsoft Word

Brevity is often the soul of clarity. The “often” is my addition. I admire authors like Hemingway and Orwell, who got to the point using the right (i.e. minimal) number of words. At the other end of the spectrum, Ayn Rand could have used an editor (among other professional

Back in August, I explained how to assign keyboard shortcuts, both inside one program and to menu items across several programs. Meanwhile, I was trying to get a macro to work properly so that I could turn on one setting in a dialog box without affecting the

Earlier this year, I reviewed software that plugs into Microsoft Word (for Windows only, not available for Mac) to help writers sharpen their prose. (Editors at the magazine I wrote this for came up with a witty title for the resulting article.) I could accomplish similar ends using features built into Word and

As a freelance technology writer, I get magazine and blog post assignments in which clients ask I stick to a specific word count, or word count range (e.g. 400-600 words). I track word count using both the bottom frame of the Word window and a word count

Few computer users could get along without common keyboard shortcuts. The ubiquitous Ctrl-C (copy) and Ctrl-V (paste) are but two common examples. We probably do this instead of using the mouse to go to menus since it takes less time and makes us more efficient, helps us

I write. A lot. And I sometimes share what I write with other people who might revise what’s written. Conversely, I might review things that other people write. Whichever the case may be, I tend to work onscreen as much as possible. (If I work on paper,

In April 2014, the Globe and Mail published a list of ten words you can remove from anything you write. It’s a great idea, since leaner writing is often clearer writing. I’ll take this tip one step further. Instead of simply keeping the list handy (and building

Lawyers and government writers are often noted for needlessly convoluted writing. “Lawyers often believe they are different to other professions as they have to use language interpreted by courts over centuries as the template for all current writing,” says Nick Wright. “The result is often a series

As a longtime technical writer, it’s second nature for me to add images to text documents. While I used to use Adobe Framemaker all the time to create complex technical manuals, I find it’s best to stick with Microsoft Word when I collaborate with non-technical subject matter